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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
The article makes the following statement:
"...so if the entire U.S. population went vegan, we'd reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by only 6 percent."
If we're talking about a country that was responsible for one or two percent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, that might make sense. However, considering the US is responsible for about 25% of all greenhouse gases emitted worldwide, 6% of that seems like it would be a decent dent. Certainly, there's a lot more work to do, but it's all about the small steps you take that add up to a big impact. We could sit here all day and talk about things we could do and then shoot them down because it may not be enough. But if we do that, at the end we've done nothing, which is most definitely not enough.
I almost understand the human need to defend one's actions, beliefs, habits by slapping at those that bring about an alternate viewpoint. Almost is actually the key word. It is easy to stereotype by the extremes - by the vegan nazis that cause the more laid back vegan to furrow his brow. But that is such a right wing tactic, so very neocon, if you will. Pointing at the extreme as the norm is just plain silly and it minimizes the effort of the majority. The majority of vegans have made a personal choice to not partake of the products from an industry that has little regard for the health and welfare of the individual American consumer. We can bring up statistics and formulas and algebraic equations that support our data - regardless of point of view. It seems so logical to me that sometimes I don't understand all the hullabaloo. We, as a society, flip out when we hear about a precious companion animal being involved in abuse yet we absently slice into the carcass of animals that have been sexually assaulted, burned, cut, thrown, stomped, torn apart while full cognizant. I dare anyone, anyone, to go into one of these plants and detoe a baby chicken, debeak a baby duck, castrate a little piglet - with no anesthesia and come out unfazed. It isn't until you witness the process that you fully understand the absolute soul destroying effect of factory farming. We wonder what has happened to our youth who seem so removed from the essence of life, so disassociated from any empathetic ability. Yet we pretend that the reality of incarcerating billions upon billions of living beings in horrific conditions is not completely rational and a necessary part of our food system. It isn't until you drive through and get out of your car around one of these "hog plants" that you realize the unbearable stench that permeates every molecule of fresh air in the entire region. Whole towns have been completely devastated by the overwhelming waste of these horrible places. The fact of the matter is that factory farming is unnecessary. It destroys our health. It destroys our environment. It perpetuates poverty. The only entity benefiting is the agribusiness corporation that rakes in the profit from underpaid worker, the exploited environment and, of course, the abused animal. The vegan message is less about eating meat than a stance against the rampant misdeeds of agribusiness.
Thank you for dispelling some myths about animal agriculture and global warming! It's refreshing to know that some people still have a brain in California! However, I suggest checking all the facts before making rather biased comments.
Case in point, "The waste often contains the cancer-causing element arsenic, which is added to most U.S. chicken feed to promote growth." Arsenic, or rather ORGANIC arsenic is added to SOME poultry broiler (meat chicken) diets to act as an alternative dewormer. Some other dewormers used in poultry production are sythetically produced and therefore, continuing on with the common popularity of organic in today's society, many producers have turned to more "natural" forms of parasite control. Aresenic is a naturally occuring element. On a side note, most everything, natural or not, is a carcinogen at some level!
Another point, "Plus, chicken poop frequently has mercury in it, possibly from fish meal used as feed, or from vaccines." Fish meal is used in very small amounts in poultry diets for two reasons. One, it's expensive, and two, high amounts (above about 4%) will make your chicken meat and eggs taste like fish! Mercury is found in a lot of different places other than fish too, so maybe people should avoid water! And the idea that any considerably harmful level of mercury is found in chicken "poop" from vaccine is pretty ridiculous. By the way, vaccines are administered at doses of about .1 to .5 mL and most of that volume isn't mercury folks!
I will try to be succinct with this last point, "And let's be clear: The life of an industrially raised chicken is not a happy one. The growing birds are warehoused in spaces so small they can't flap their wings, turn around or preen. Breeding for maximum meat production has resulted in animals whose bodies have difficulty supporting their own weight, meaning chickens live much of their lives in pain." First of all, not all poultry are housed the same way. Let's consider broilers (meat chickens) and turkeys. They live in temperature controlled barns where it is common for them to jump, run, flap and preen! Have you ever been hit by the wing of a flapping turkey? Probably not, because you would remember it! If you have ever actually been in a broiler or turkey barn, and I don't mean seen pictures of, you would understand what I am talking about! And birds, much like humans, don't do any of the above when they are in pain! Granted, laying hens are housed in smaller quarters, but I have yet to see any space where a bird cannot turn around or preen! Birds have been selected heavily for meat production, and while there have been skeletal issues in the past, the genetics companies will no time soon go out of business since they are always improving not only growth and efficiency, but also bird health (including the ability to walk freely). The skeletal integrity of poultry today, is much more adequate than it was 10 years ago!
Again, thank you for making the very important point that not all animal agriculture is the same. And most importantly, thank you for dispelling PETAs myth that animal agriculture is the leader in global warming. But in the future, do all of us a favor and research all of your talking points. It will save those educated in the areas that you aren't a lot of headaches!
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